Adjusting mechanism for drilling-machines.



I w. T. SEARS. v ADJUSTING mecmmsm FOR DRILLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, I918.

Patented Mar. 11,1919..

WILLARD T. SEARS, OF IBROOKLYN; 1i! EW YORK, ASSIGKQB, T0NILES-BEIVIENT-PQND COMPANY, 01 YORK, N. Y., .A GORPQBATIOH OF NEW.JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLARD T. SEA'as, a citizen of the United States,residing" at Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain newand 4 useful Improvements in Adjusting Mechanismsfor Drilling-Machines, of which the. following is a specification. y

The invention is particularly applicable to a radial drilling machineand will be described in connection with such a machine; but it will beunderstood that the invention,

A as concerns some of its features, may he used in connection with'otherdri'lling machines or even in connection with machines for otherpurposes. As applied to a radial drill and as illustrated-in thedrawing, the adjusting mechanism is used for raising 'or lowering thedrill arm together with the parts immediately associated therewith. Theadjusting mechanism is similar in some respects to that shown anddescribed in my patent for adj ustingmechanism No 1,122,649 datedDecember 29th, 1914. l

The object of the present invention is to provide an adjusting mechanismof this type h. ving improved structural features and improvedarrangement of parts whereby certain important advantages are secured.In accordance with one feature of the inven- -tion-I arrange andposition the frictional connection in a novel'way, it preferably beinginterposed between the screw and the main frame and being located at aposition where it is readily. accessible andwhere it can be easilylubricated;

In the accompanying drawing which shows the preferred embodiment of theinvention as applied to a radial drilling ma.- chine:

Figure 1- is an elevational yiew of adrilling machine. p Fig. 2 is avertical sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 22of Fig. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33' of Fig;2.

' F igz .is all-enlarged detail view showing the elevating screw and theparts immediately associated therewith.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the base, 2 the column and 3- thevertically adjustable'armof a radialv drilling machine.

In the preferred embodiment of the invenitia strat the w uma adlud i vSpecification of Letters Eaten/1.. Patented Rial, 11, ilf ch.

' Application filed. Apri1-22, 1918. Serial No. $229,998.

as shown in my Patent 1,671,590, dated August 26th, 1918. The arm 3 or acarrying member therefor extends between the two parts of the columnand-is suitably guided thereon for vertical movement. Rigidly mounted atthe rear end of the arm is awgear casing 4: which carries an electricmotor 5. Slidably mounted on the arm 3 is a saddle 6 carrying a headprovided with a rotatable drillspindle 7. A driving shaft 8 extendslongitudinally of the arm and serves to drive the spindle.

Mounted on the shaft of the motor 5 is a pinion 9 which meshes with agear 10loosely mounted on the shaft 8. Connected with the gear 10 is apinion 11 which meshes with a gear 12 on. a countershaft 13. Mounted onthe shaft 13 is a pinion 1 1 which is adapt ed to mesh with a gear. 15splined on the shaft 8 and movable by means of a hand lever 16. With theparts in the position 'shown in Fig. 1, the shaft 8 is driven at arelatively low speed indirectly from the niotorv through thecountershaft 13. When the gear 15 is moved toward the left it is disengaged from the pinion 14 and is engaged with clutch teeth at the endof the pinion 11, thus making a direct high speed drive from the gear 10to the shaft 8. It will be understood that the entire gear mechanism, asdescribed, is mounted within the casing 4; and that this casing, withthe gearing and with the motor 5, is vertically movable with the arm 3.v

' For adjusting the arm and connected parts vertically, there isprovided a ver 17 and a nut 18 and means rotating one of them relativelyto the other. Pref erahly the screw is normally fixed against rotationand the nut is turned, preferably by power derived from the motor 5. Asillustrated, the nut 18 is fitted in a bearing 19 secured to the arm 3.The screw 17 is suit ably supported in a manner to be described and thenut 18 serves to support the entire nut, that is, between the bearing 19and the 6 nut. A collar E20 preventsvdownward move ment of the nut withrespect to the hearing.

Secured to or formed integrally with the nut 18 is a bevel gear 21 whichmeshes with.

a bevel gear 22. ria gear 22 is carried by a shattf 23 111 abutmentwrath the 3101128316.

15 operator permits the upward movement of be rotated in eitherdirection.

shaft 13. A jaw clutch element 24 secured to the shaft 23 and acompanion grooved jaw clutch element 25 is splined to the shaftl3. Forshifting the clutch ele- Assuming the motor to be in operation,

and the clutch elements 25 and 2+2 to be engaged, it will be seen that-rotative move ment will be transmitted from the shaft 13 through thebevel gears 22 and 21 to the nut 18. The motor can be rotated in eitherdirection under the control of a controller, not shown, and thus the nut18 can As the nut rotates it moves upward or downward along the screw"17, carrying the 'arm 3 and the associated'parts with it. I

, I have stated that the screw 17 is nor,- mally fixed against rotation;but in accordance with the invention I provide means whereby thescrewmay turn when necessary to protect the machine from injury. As

illustrated, the screw is supported at the top of the column by africtional device. A. plate 29 is secured to the top of the screw, thishaving a conical flange 30 which projects into and fits a conical seat31 in a plate 32 secured to the top of the columnj During normaloperation the friction resistance between the flange 30 and the seat 31will prevent "the screw 17 from turning.

Means is provided whereby the upward movement of the nut along the screwis positively stopped Without any jamming of the threads.-As'illustrated, the thread on the screw terminates at the top abruptlywith a shoulder, as indicated M33 in Fig.

l /and the nut is shaped so that the thread presents a squared end asindicated at 34,

this squared end 34 being adapted to abut the shoulder 33. It will beseen that if the the nut to continue, the squared end 34- will engagethe shoulder 33 which serves as a stop to limit relative movement of thenut. ereafter the rotative force applied to tile nut 10 will rotate thescrew 17 against the frictional resistance ,ofl'ered at 30 and 31.

IThis rotative movement of-the screw 17 will continueindefinitely, thuspreventing anyinjury to the machine whiclr would otherwise result.

The opgrator, through inadvertence or carelessness, maypermit the nut toturn in :the other direction so as 'to move the-arm 3 downward too far.The arm on its down- ,ward movement may meet some obstruction,

such for instance as a piece of worlc about to be drilled; or' it maymove downward until it reaches the bottom of the column Iii-either casethe weight of the arm will the nut is stopped. j

5. In a'drilling machine comprising a varbe removed from the screw andcarried by the obstruction or by the bottom of the column. When thescrew is thus relieved from weight, the frictional contactfat 30,

and 31 is reduced because of the decreased to turn freely with the nut.This rotative movement of the screw-will continue indefinitely withoutinjury to the machine" which-would otherwise result.

It will be seen that the plate 32 is adapted to serve as a reservoir forlubricant, thus keeping the bearing surfaces at 30 and '31 thoroughlylubricated. An oil hole such as indicated at 35 n'1ay be provided forsup- .of a supporting and adjusting means there for comprlsmg a verticalscrew and a nut,

power means for turning one of thenirelatively to the other to raiseorlower the arm,-

and a frictional device normally holding the other of them againstrotation but permit pressure and thus the screw 17 is permitted ting itto turn when the arm is prevented from n'ioving.

In a drilling machine c'on'iprising a vertical column and an arm vertica1y ad ustable thereon, the combination with the arm, of a.

supporting and adjusting. means therefor comprising a vertical screw anda nut,'power means for turning one of them relatively to theothertora-ise orlower the arm, a stop for positively stopping the relativeturning movement in one direction, and a frictionaldevice normallyholding the other of them aga nst rotation but permitting it to turnwhen the relative turning movement is stopped.

3. In a drilling machine comprising a vertical column and an armvertically adjust able thereon, the combination of a vertical screw, anut engaging the screw and serving to support the arm, powermeans forturn-I ing thenut to raise or lower the arm, and a frictional devicenormally holdingthescrew against rotation but permitting it to turn,

with the nut when the arm is prevented from moving.

'4. Ina drilling machine comprising a ver able thereon, the combinationof a vertical screw, a nut e'ngagingthe screw and serving to support thearm, power means for turning the nut to raise or lower the arm, a stopfor positively stopping the movement of the not on; the screw in onedirection, and a frictional device normally holding the screw againstr'otationbut permitting it to turn with the nut when the relativemovement of tical column and any arm vertically adjusttical-column andan arm vertically adjustthereby. the said friction able thereon, thecombination of a vertical screw, a nut engaging the screw and serving tosupport the arm. power means for turning the nut to raise or lower thearm, and a t'rictional device at the top of the column normally holdingthe screw against rotation but permitting it to turn with the nut whenthe arm is prevented from moving.

6. In a drilling machine comprising a vertical column and an armvertically adjustable thereon, the combination of a vertical screw, anut engaging the screw and serving to support the arm. power means forturning the nut to raise or lower the arm. and a frictional deviceengaging the screw and serving to support it and the parts carrieddevice normally hol-zling the screw against, rotation but permitting itto turn with the nut when-the arm is prevented from moving.

7. In a drilling machine comprising a vertical column andan armvertically adjustable thereon. the combination of a vertical screw, anut. engaging the screw and serving t support the arm, power means forturning the nut to raise or lower the arm. and a frictional device atthe topof-the column engaging the screw and serving to support it, andthe parts carried thereby. the said friction device normally holding thescrew against rotation but. permitting it to turn with the nut, when thearm is prevened from movin 8. in a drilling machine comprising a'vertical column and an arm vertically adjustable thereon, thecombination of a vertica screw. a nut engaging the screw and serving tosupport the arm. power means for turn ing the nut to raise or lower thearm. and a frictional device supporting the screukand the parts carriedthereby and normally holdin" the screaua ainst rotation but aermittingit to turn with the nut when the arm is prevented from moving. thefrictional devicebeing of the cone type and having one elcmcnt securedto the screw and the other element carried by the column.

9. in a drilling machine comprising a vertical column and an armvertically adjustable thereon. the combination of a vcrtica screw. anutv engaging the screw and serving to support the arm. powerincans forturning the nut to raise or lower the arm. and a frictional devicesupporting the screw and the parts carried thereby and normally hold ingthe screw against rotation but permit. ting it to turn with the nuttvhen the arm is prevented from moving. the frictional device being ofthe cone type and having one element secured to the screw and the othcrelement carried by thecolmun, the last said clementbeing shaped toretain lubricant.

In testimony whereof l hereto aliix my signature.

WILLARD T. SEARS.

